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Category Archives: food coloring

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Turns out that this is a really good question. And if you’ve never wondered about it, don’t worry, there are people who already have. Many of those little blue specs that decorate a variety of muffins, bagels, cereals and bars aren’t actual blueberries. They can simply be sugar, corn syrup and food coloring rolled into small clumps that kind of resemble berries or in some less offensive cases, they can be sugars, and some different fruit juices that can include blueberry. Either way, images of blueberries shouldn’t be gracing the packaging.

A while back, Natural News did some investigating and found many half-truths (or total lies) in blueberry snacks when they compared pictures of fresh berries from the package to what’s actually inside.

Pillsbury Blueberry Biscuits and Muffins
No blueberries at all — just sugar and food coloring.

Kellogg Mini Wheats Blueberry
No blueberries. No blueberry juice. No fruit at all.

Panera Blueberry Bagels
Somehow or another Panera’s blueberry bagels didn’t warrant the use of actual berries, while the blueberry muffins and blueberry scones did. Go figure. The “blueberry-flavored bits” contain sugar, flour, corn syrup and food coloring as well as “infused blueberries.” We can’t tell you what those actually are.

Brookside Dark Chocolate Acai & Blueberry
These berry sized treats are a bit better than the other products we’re listing. The centers are created from a variety of fruit concentrates and blueberry IS one of them. The juices appear to be thickened with corn syrup and sugar.

Quaker Wild Blueberry Crisps
Quaker could have really done a better job. No blueberry. No fruit juice. Just natural and artificial flavors.

Some fake blueberry flavoring is obviously better than others. At the end of the day, though, none of these blueberry products are really blueberry products. FoodFacts.com thinks this serves as a great reminder for everyone to read ingredient lists, all the time — no matter what the brand might be or what images appear on the packaging.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Artificial food dyes have been a very controversial topic for years now. These chemical colorings carry many problems with them straight into our food supply. Unfortunately, one of the most concerning problems surrounding artificial colors is that they’ve almost certainly been linked with hyperactivity and behavioral problems in children. Unfortunately, according to new information coming from the FDA, this important message hasn’t reached everyone just yet.

Nearly every child in America is exposed to Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Blue 1, according to a new estimate of Americans’ exposure to the controversial chemicals released by the Food and Drug Administration. For children who consume a lot of dyed foods, the estimate of the amount of Red 40 alone exceeds the amount of total dyes sufficient to trigger hyperactivity and other adverse effects on behavior in some studies.

The results were first released at a poster session held at a conference sponsored by the American Chemical Society on August 13. FDA has not yet published the full results and says the assessment is ongoing.

“Such widespread exposure to artificially colored foods is bad news for all children, since artificially colored foods aren’t healthy foods in the first place,” said Center for Science in the Public Interest senior scientist Lisa Y. Lefferts. “The FDA is failing kids and parents by allowing the use of these purely cosmetic chemicals in food, which trigger behavioral problems in some children, as even FDA conceded in 2011.”

The FDA tested more than 580 foods whose labels indicated they contained artificial colors, and matched the test results with government data on food consumption for those products, to produce exposure estimates for the general population, young children, and teenage boys. The estimates only include foods that contain dyes, and only include data for people who consumed those foods over a two-day period. The agency has not yet publicly disclosed the brand names of the tested foods.

FoodFacts.com is difficult for parents to be vigilant about eliminating food dyes from their families’ diets. Often it can be a daunting proposition. And often, if your child isn’t affected by smaller levels of artificial colors, it’s easy enough to think this might not be a problem for your family. But it’s important to remember that the studies that have been conducted point to the idea that it isn’t just kids with ADHD who are affected by artificial colors. These chemicals can trigger hyperactivity and behavioral problems in ANY child. If that’s not enough to keep foods with artificial colors out of your home, you can throw in the additional problems associated with colorful processed foods. Things like migraines and facial swelling in adults, the possibility of carcinogenic contaminants, and DNA in mice included in certain animal studies and you can easily see the importance of keeping artificial food dyes out of your diet.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Maybe we’re just late to the ingredient ban party. Maybe we’re never going to get there. We’re really not sure. What we do know, however, is that Americans are still eating food products that contain a variety of ingredients that many other countries have deemed unsafe for consumption. FoodFacts.com is already aware that the designation of a food additive as Generally Recognized as Safe is a pretty questionable process. And it’s obvious that there are countries where the safety designation of certain ingredients was much more stringent than our own. Let’s review a few of the ingredients that the U.S. FDA still includes on the GRAS list – even though they are banned in other countries.

Food Coloring:
Blue #1 and Blue #2 are both banned in Norway, Finland and France
Studies in the 1980s linked these food dyes to cancer in animal studies. They are also linked to the exacerbation of ADHD symptoms in children.

Yellow #5 is banned in Norway and Austria. Yellow #6 is banned in Norway and Finland. Six of the studies on yellow #5 showed that it caused genotoxicity, a deterioration of the cell’s genetic material with potential to mutate healthy DNA. Both colors have been linked to cancer in animal studies and are implicated in the exacerbation of ADHD symptoms in children.

Brominated Vegetable Oil:
Banned in over 100 different countries, including the European Union, Japan and India, Brominated Vegetable Oil is still approved as additive in the United States with specific restrictions that limit its concentrations in products. Brominated vegetable oil, or BVO, acts as an emulsifier in various products, and contains bromine, a chemical whose fumes can be corrosive and toxic.

Azodicarbonamide:
The governments of the UK and many countries in the EU have determined that they do not think it’s safe for their populations to consume an ingredient that’s also popular in the manufacture of foamed plastics – things like yoga mats and sneaker soles. So Azodicarbonamide is not permitted in the baked products sold in these countries.

Azodicarbonamide is proven to exacerbate (and even cause) asthma symptoms. It is referred to as an “asthma-causing allergen”. While the use of this dough conditioner has certainly declined in the production of U.S. baked products – it’s still out there.

rBGH and rBST:
Recombinant bovine growth hormone and recombinant bovine somatotropin, a synthetic version of bovine growth hormone, can be found in nonorganic dairy products unless noted on the packaging. These hormones are banned in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and the EU because of dangers to both human and bovine health. While there are American producers who don’t use these hormones, neither are outlawed here in the U.S.

There are other ingredients in addition to these, of course, which have been designated unacceptable in other countries. FoodFacts.com tends to think that we’ve got a problem when we’re recognizing more additives as safe all the time that other countries have discovered problems with. It does appear possible that we aren’t being selective enough when it comes to the ingredients in our food supply and that the FDA could be doing a better job of keeping our foods safe for consumption. And while we’re all thinking that no doctor has ever deemed a person’s cause of death to be consumption of azodicarbonamide or the reason for a person’s cancer to be consumption of artificial food coloring, there’s absolutely mounting evidence that specific ingredient do carry specific health concerns and we’re better off leaving them out of our diets.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Foodfacts.com recalls a trend that began a few years back to help steer consumers from purchasing sodas and sugar-filled drinks, and concentrate beverage consumption solely on water. Food companies took advantage of this opportunity and began cranking out flavored waters to make sure they received some profits. Their labels boasted sugar-free, low in calories, and great refreshing tastes. However, it took a plethora of ingredients for these food companies to get the “right” product. Check out more on these ingredients below to see what you’re actually consuming!Natural Flavors: A variety of beverages contain “natural flavors.” What these natural flavors are; no one is really quite sure. The FDA believes that consumers have a right to know what is in their foods, however, they also believe food companies have a right to protect their trade secrets. This gives food companies the opportunity to slip in some ingredients we may not be so happy with, but still under mandated regulations.

Products that contain this ingredient: Vitamin Water, Propel, Fruit-2-O, Hint Water, Poland Spring, Sobe, Aquafina, and many more!Sweeteners: Acesulfame potassium, aspartame, and other sugar substitutes are added to flavored waters to not only provide sweetness, but to also guarantee that the label reads 0 grams of sugar. These artificial sweeteners have been known to cause a number of reactions in different quantities. Consumers have reported headaches, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, and mild fatigue after consuming products containing artificial sweeteners.

Products that contain this ingredient: Dasani, Fruit-2-O, Aquafina, Propel, Tava, Vintage, Nestle, Minute Maid, Wegman’sArtificial Dyes & Coloring: You can’t just have CLEAR water! What kind of liquid is that?! That’s why food companies pump Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow Lake 5, and a bunch of other fancy colors into single-serving flavored powders to drop in our water bottles if we’re in a hurry. Well, having a pink beverage may be pleasing to the eye, but fact of the matter is that they may pose some health risks. Food colorings have been associated with triggering hyperactivity in children’s and adults with ADHD; reactions with asthma, rhinitis, urticaria, or other allergies; and may possibly assist in growth retardation and severe weight loss.

Products that contain this ingredient: (Powdered mixes) Gatorade G2, Crystal Light, Flavor-Aid, Mio, South Beach Living, Kool-AidPropylene Glycol: This additive has been seen in a few new flavored dry mixes primarily due to it’s sweet taste. This petroleum based sweetener is commonly found in brake fluid, acrylic paints, tile grout, primer, shoe polish, antifreeze, floor polish, tire sealant and sealant paste. It has been reported that symptoms associated with this compound include throat irritation, headache, backache, and kidney problems. If swallowed, propylene glycol can cause drowsiness, slurred speech, vomiting, respiratory failure, coma, convulsions, or even death.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Here at foodfacts.com, we like to keep our readers informed of all current and up-to-date information regarding health and food. Here is a recent news article discussing the 10 scariest food additives in some of the most popular food products most can find in their pantry.

There was a time when “fruit flavored” and “cheese flavored” meant “made with real fruit” and “made with real cheese.” Today? It’s artificial everything. Most of the food at your local supermarket is no more authentic than Snooki’s tan. Our fruit comes packaged in Loops, our cheese delivered via Whiz. Sure, it’s edible, but there’s no way your great grandparents would recognize this junk as food.

The problem with additives runs deep. The FDA currently maintains a list of ingredients called Everything Added to Food in the United States (EAFUS), which features more than 3,000 items and counting. Thankfully, most EAFUS ingredients are benign, but a few of them do have potentially harmful effects. Why they’re legal is a mystery to us. Some of them might be backed by powerful lobby groups, while others probably survive simply because some guy at the FDA has too much paperwork on his desk and hasn’t made time to adequately review the data.

Below are 10 of the most dubious ingredients hiding in your food, compliments of Eat This, Not That! 2011. Even if you’re not convinced of their danger, you have to admit this: The more filler ingredients you cut from your diet, the more space you have for wholesome, nutritious foods.

Why it’s scary: In the late ’90s, Frito-Lay released Olestra-enhanced WOW chips and Procter & Gamble introduced Fat Free Pringles. Both products were required to carry warning labels to notify customers about the risk of “loose stools.” Within 4 years, some 15,000 people had dialed in to a hotline set up specifically to handle adverse-reaction complaints. Apparently the complaints didn’t move the FDA, because in 2003, the administration revoked the warning-label mandate. If you want to take your chances with diarrhea, go ahead, but first consider this: Olestra also appears to interfere with the body’s ability to absorb some crucial nutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene. To counteract the effect, processers add some nutrients back, but it’s unlikely that all the blocked nutrients are adequetly replaced.

Furthermore, just last week I tweeted that an animal study at Purdue University found that fake fats like Olestra may cause more weight gain than real fat.

Why it’s scary: Caramel coloring shows up in everything from soft drinks and sauces to breads and pastries. When made from straight sugar, it’s relatively benign. But when produced with ammonia it puts off 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, chemicals that have been linked to cancer in mice. The risk is strong enough that the California government, a bellwether for better food regulation, categorized 4-methylimidazole as “known to cause cancer” earlier this year. Unfortunately, companies aren’t required to disclose whether their coloring is made with ammonia, so you’d be wise to avoid it as much as you can.

Scary Ingredient #3: Saccharin
An artificial sweetener discovered by accident in the 1870s.

Why it’s scary: Studies have linked saccharin to bladder tumors in rats, and in 1977, the FDA required warning labels on all saccharin-containing foods. In 2000, the agency changed its stance and allowed saccharin to be sold without warning labels. But that doesn’t make it entirely safe. A 2008 Purdue study found that replacing sugar with saccharin in rats’ diets made them gain more weight, proving once again that you should be aware of these faux fat foes.

Why it’s scary: Potassium bromate causes thyroid and kidney tumors in rats, and it’s banned from food use in many countries. In California, products containing potassium bromate are required to carry a cancer warning. Fortunately, negative publicity has made the additive relatively rare, but until the FDA banishes it, you should remain on the lookout.

Why they’re scary: The Department of Health and Human Services says BHA is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” yet the FDA allows it to be used anyway. BHT is considered less dangerous, but in animal research, it too has resulted in cancer. Oddly, the chemicals aren’t even always necessary; in most cases they can be replaced with vitamin E.

Why it’s scary: Partially hydrogenated fats are the principle sources of trans fat in the American diet, and a Harvard study estimated that trans fat causes 70,000 heart attacks every year. The good news: Partially hydrogenated oils are beginning to slowly retreat from our food. Progressive jurisdictions like New York City are starting to restrict the allowable amounts in restaurants, and many chains are switching to healthier frying oil. Still, the battle isn’t over. At Long John Silver’s, for example, there are still 17 menu items with more than 2 grams of the stuff. According to the American Heart Association, that’s about the maximum you should consume in a single day.

Why it’s scary: Humans have used sulfites to keep food fresh for thousands of years, but some people—especially asthma sufferers—experience breathing difficulties when exposed. In the 1980s, unregulated use resulted in at least a dozen deaths, prompting the FDA to slap warning labels on wine bottles and develop new guidelines for proper use. Now restaurants can no longer soak fresh ingredients in sulfites. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, there have been no known deaths since the new legislation took hold. The bottom line: If you’re among the majority of people not sensitive to sulfites, consumption won’t hurt you. If you’re not sure, ask your doctor for a test.

Why it’s scary: This chemical is used most frequently in the production of industrial foam plastic, and although the FDA has approved its use for food in the States, the United Kingdom has labeled it a potential cause of asthma. In a review of 47 studies on azodicarbonamide, the World Health Organization concluded that it probably does trigger asthmatic symptoms. The WHO concluded, “exposure levels should be reduced as much as possible.” I’ll put it more concisely: Avoid it.

Why it’s scary: Seaweed is actually good for you, but carrageenan is a mere seaweed byproduct. Through animal studies, it has been linked to cancer, colon trouble, and ulcers. It isn’t certain that carrageenan harms humans, but avoiding it is clearly the safer option. Most studies examined degraded forms of the additive, and research from the University of Iowa found that carrageenan could be degraded through the normal digestive process.

Scary Ingredient #10: Ammonium Sulfate
An inorganic salt that occurs naturally near active volcanoes and is used commercially to nourish yeast and help bread rise.

Why it’s scary: This nitrogen-rich compound is most often used as fertilizer, and also appears commonly in flame retardants. Thankfully, the ingredient only sounds scary—a 2006 Japanese rat study found the additive to be non-carcinogenic. Both the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the FDA deem it safe.

Foodfacts.com is looking into the storythat has been reported by various news outlets including both Fox News and Yahoo, that scientists in Japan have created a meat out of human feces! Yes, you read that correctly, human feces! Is their any truth to the story? We will let you be the judge of that.

Mitsuyuki Ikeda, a researcher from the Okayama Laboratory, has developed meat based on proteins from human excrement. Tokyo Sewage approached the scientist because of an overabundance of sewage mud. They asked him to explore the possible uses of the sewage and Ikeda found that the mud contained a great deal of protein because of all the bacteria.
The researchers then extracted those proteins, combined them with a reaction enhancer and put it in an exploder which created the artificial steak. The “meat” is 63% proteins, 25% carbohydrates, 3% lipids and 9% minerals. The researchers color the poop meat red with food coloring and enhance the flavor with soy protein. Initial tests have people saying it even tastes like beef.
Inhabitat notes that “the meatpacking industry causes 18 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions, mostly due to the release of methane from animals.” Livestock also consume huge amounts of resources and space in efforts to feed ourselves as well as the controversy over cruelty to animals. Ikeda’s recycled poop burger would reduce waste and emissions, not to mention obliterating Dante’s circle for gluttons.

It makes you wonder doesn’t it? How would the nutritional information for a burger made out of human feces compare to a burger made from McDonald’s?

The scientists hope to price it the same as actual meat, but at the moment the excrement steaks are ten to twenty times the price they should be thanks to the cost of research. Professor Ikeda understands the psychological barriers that need to be surmounted knowing that your food is made from human feces. They hope that once the research is complete, people will be able to overlook that ugly detail in favor of perks like environmental responsibility, cost and the fact that the meat will have fewer calories. So, would you ever consider eating meat made from human feces? Go to our facebook page and tell us what you think!

Information provided by Yahoo.com

**Update**

Is this story a hoax or a scam?

When we first found this story at foodfacts.com, we were immediately shocked and repulsed. Since then, we have decided to do our own research and find whether or not this story is true. Many may believe at first site that this story is a scientific milestone; turning human waste into an edible protein source. However, others instantly raise skepticism, thinking how one could possible eliminate all waste and toxins from feces and serve it as a dinner, or why they would even want to!

Initially searching for more information on “Okayama Laboratory”, you find that this research establishment is not centered on food technology or sciences, but produces medical devices. I wouldn’t think this type of lab would have safety and sanitation codes allowing large quantities of excrement, but who knows. Also, with such a “miraculous” invention, one would think they would post a press release or somehow mention their ground-breaking science, but there is no word of this “meat poop” listed.

Next, I decided to look up the scientist that is deemed creator of this “meat product”, Mitsuyuki Ikeda. What I found is that it seems he has been made famous just by this story alone. Looking for his name on any search engine will mostly give you results of only the mysterious meat feces. However, if you go a couple pages through the results, you do find what seems to be a personal webpage for a Mitsuyuki Ikeda. Whether or not it’s the same one, we don’t know, but this webpage is centered around environmental education in school systems. Not too related, but at least this guy has some type of science background.

The large reason we believe this story is a hoax is because of the unprofessional nature of the accompanying video, “Solution to the Global Food Crisis – Let them eat TURD BURGERS!?”. The title alone makes you doubt the credibility behind this story, but they also show a few other components that just seem strange, like at 1:33 of the video, when the scientist open up the refrigerator labeled sh*t burger, and again later on lifts a sh*t burger bag. Another part shows the scientist going over his calculations and scientific process, with a pointer shaped like a giant finger, just weird.

What are your thoughts? Is this news story fake or real? Check it out below.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Foodfacts.com is teaming up with our friends over at Dietsinreview.com to look into McDonald’s “Chemical Cocktail.” Admittedly, a mango pineapple smoothie sounds like a refreshing treat to enjoy in the heat of the summer. But the new McCafé Mango Pineapple Real Fruit Smoothie that they’re promoting, and which was a number-one trend on Twitter this week as #ANewMcDFavorite, is anything but real fruit. Unless you consider “clarified demineralized pineapple juice concentrate”, “mango puree concentrate”, or “pineapple juice concentrate” to be real fruit.

There are certainly items on the McDonald’s menu that are worse for you (you’d need a chemistry degree to understand their scrambled eggs), but few that so blatantly try to deceive.

You’ll slurp down a whopping 220 calories in this impostor fruit beverage. When you drink that kind of empty calories, you aren’t likely to feel full or satisfied.
The “fruit” smoothie also contains 49 grams of sugar, which is more than you’ll find in a can of Coke. Recent research has shown that that sugar consumed in liquid form is metabolized differently than sugar in solid foods, and may be more prone to convert to fat.

It’s a travesty that McDonald’s has the audacity to claim this product contains anything resembling real fruit. Other McDonald’s fruit smoothies do contain whole fruit, but the concentrates in this particular menu item don’t make the cut.

No matter your health goals, you will be better off getting some fresh fruit, low-fat milk or yogurt and blending up something at home. Let us show you how to make a healthy smoothie.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Foodfacts.com takes a closer look at what’s really in a some Taco Bell products. By simply looking at the Nachos Bell Grande at Taco Bell, some would think there are maybe 5 or 6 ingredients. There’s the sour cream, layers of nacho cheese, mountain of tortilla chips, some tomatoes, little bit of chive, and topped off with ground beef. In reality, this menu item contains about 125 ingredients; some of which aren’t ideal, and may possibly cause some hazardous health effects. At Food Facts we like to point out these controversial ingredients and help consumers become more aware of what’s REALLY in their food.

Let’s start off with autolyzed yeast extract, because many people may be unfamiliar with this ingredient, and coincidentally it is in all three featured products. This ingredient naturally contains glutamic acid, a flavor enhancer. Therefore, most types of yeast extract are used as food additives to help give flavor to different products. In autolyzed yeast extract, sodium chloride is added during the fermentation process to create monosodium glutamate, commonly referred to as MSG.

Most consumers are very familiar with MSG because it has received a great deal of attention in recent years. This ingredient can be found in salad dressings, mixed seasonings, snacks, chips, beef stocks, and much more. With the increased popularity of this product, came increased reports of migraine headaches, dizziness, nausea, and so on. In fact, all the symptoms of MSG can be categorized as “MSG Symptom Complex”, because there is a large variety of symptoms that may occur. Also, some people may also have intolerance to MSG, so be careful to check food labels for monosodium glutamate, yeast extract, and other hidden MSG forms.

The Burrito Supreme at Taco Bell is another menu-favorite. Aside from this item providing a hefty dose of the recommended daily value for sodium, saturated fat, and cholesterol; it also contains a variety of controversial ingredients you may not be aware of. The one ingredient some may be curious about is tertiary butylhydroquinone, or TBHQ. Not only is this ingredient a mouth-full, it is also a phenol used as a food additive to enhance storage life of different products. Although deemed safe by the FDA, certain studies have shown that high doses of TBHQ are not only carcinogenic, but may also cause damage to DNA and promote growth of tumors. Make sure to read food labels carefully for this food additive.

Crunchy tacos are a staple for the Taco Bell franchise. Although these more basic items contain less controversial ingredients, they still include hidden MSG and TBHQ. Their nutrition label also displays high amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, which consumers should carefully monitor when eating at any fast-food restaurant.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Foodfacts.com looks into what’s really in Snapple “Apple.” Many consumers and bloggers recently took notice that “Snapple Apple” contains zero apples! Instead, this “apple” drink contains pear concentrate. Isn’t this false advertising? The Consumerist recently reached out to Snapple in regards to this matter to receive the following e-mail back:

“Thank you for contacting our Company regarding our ingredients in our products.

Our Company complies with all applicable labeling regulations promulgated in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory bodies. Product flavor components that form part of our “natural” or “natural and/or artificial flavors” ingredients are considered proprietary to our Company.
If you have a concern regarding the intake of this product, we suggest that you contact your health care provider. If you have known sensitivities to any substance listed in the ingredient statement, we advise discontinuing use of the product.

Thanks again for contacting us.

Sincerely,
Consumer Relations”

So why doesn’t Snapple Apple use actual apple juice in their “apple” drink? The Consumerist points out that a real apple apparently doesn’t provide the same “apple” taste some people expect. However, pears are somehow able to provide the “true apple flavor.”

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Foodfacts.com is teaming up with our friends over at Dietsinreview.com to help inform you about what chemicals you should try removing from your diet. These days it seems you need an advanced science degree to read and understand a food ingredient label. Most of us scan over them simply because it’s easier. However, what we’re overlooking in all that multi-syllabic jargon are chemical additives that can have incredibly negative effects on our health.

Manufacturers use chemical additives for a number of reasons, including a longer shelf life, better taste or color, and even to keep production costs down. We’ve identified five that are especially concerning, and hope you’ll take an extra minute to review your food labels before making a purchase.

Trans Fat – One of the most controversial additives, this can be found on food labels as “Partially Hydrogenated Oil or Vegetable Oil.” The consumption of trans fat can be detrimental to cardiovascular health, and it has been linked with the obesity epidemic. Watch food labels closely because a food with less than.5 grams of trans fat per serving is allowed to list zero grams on its label.

Artificial Coloring - Food dyes are a chemical and offer no nutritive value, meaning they don’t offer any vitamins or minerals. Artificial coloring is noted in food labels, with some of the more common (and considered carcinogens) being Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 3, Yellow 6.

Sodium Nitrite or Nitrate - These additives are used to give “cured meats” a salty taste and give their reddish hue. As an example hot dogs nd bacon would be more of a grey hue without these chemicals. Linked with cancers in adults and children, these are easily avoided by looking for natural meats and checking labels.

Foods with Nitrites or -ates: Bacon, Hot Dogs, Sausage, Deli Meat

Saccharin or Aspartame - These artificial sweeteners are actually sweeter than natural sugar, but far worse for your health. While they’ve made it possible for many to enjoy sweet treats, the affects on the body aren’t any better. Saccharin has been considered for ban by the FDA, and is linked with multiple types of cancers in many studies. These are manufactured chemical additives and, like the others, offer nothing in the way of nutrition.

Diacetyl - The buttery flavor you enjoy from many packaged foods is probably not butter, but instead dactyl, a chemical ingredient linked with a lung disease nicknamed “popcorn lung.” While that health concern helped reduce its use, it’s still looking at the ingredients label to see if it’s lurking.